Mastering the Club Board Meeting Presentation

Public speaking used to terrify me. And if I’m being honest, it often still does. Even with years of experience and a doctoral degree under my belt, the prospect of presenting to a room of powerful individuals can be bone-chillingly terrifying. 

Club board meetings can be intimidating, especially the first few times. These meetings often include important decision-makers, and when you’re presenting to them, their full attention will be on you.  

Follow these simple tips to make the most of this opportunity. 

The Message 

The easiest way to sabotage your own presentation is by not knowing what you want the audience to take away from it. The presentation will have different needs depending on your message. Are you presenting monthly financial results or the annual budget?  

Odds are good that you won’t be presenting alone. You might be one part of a group that includes a general manager, a marketing person, a food and beverage person, a grounds maintenance person, and so on. One of the most vital first steps in planning this presentation is making sure that everyone is on the same page. Because each presenter in your group is sharing a different aspect, it’s important to consider the message of each segment, as well as how they all tie together. 

And, of course, we should always consider how the message connects to the mission and vision of the club. 

It will probably be necessary to schedule at least one pre-presentation meeting to make sure that everyone’s vision for the presentation is in alignment. It’s worth the preparation time early in the process to avoid potential discrepancies during the presentation. 

The Content 

Depending on your background, you may have heard the phrase: Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them. I know it sounds a little convoluted at first, but it’s a solid presentation strategy. 

Basically, don’t leave your audience guessing about your point. 

Start the presentation with your message and how it’s relevant to the club. Get to know the board members, their backgrounds, their interests, their expertise. If you are new at the club, just starting in your role, make sure you know all the relevant details about the club. Tailor your content specifically to the club and the board. Tell the audience exactly what you’re about to tell them. You can frame this as an objective for the presentation or as a goal but be sure to make it clear and understandable. 

Then we can really dive into the content. Depending on your context and audience, you may need to offer up some background information, but if it’s not necessary, I recommend jumping right to the details. This is where you might create some charts and graphs, build your slides, create any handouts or presentation aids. 

Don’t feel like you have to present the entire report all at once. Break it down into digestible chunks, highlighting the most important aspects of the report in the presentation and leaving the smaller details to the handouts that can be read later. 

The Design 

For each item you create, consider your message. How does this item support my message? This is how you make sure that everything you present is directly relevant to your topic and audience. The club board meeting agenda likely won’t have a lot of time to spare, so be sure to trim the fluff and unnecessary content. 

Keep your presentation aids simple and clear. Choose a couple of key colors; if you’re not sure what colors to use, start with the color palette of the club logo. Keep the decorations to a minimum. Every image, chart, and visual that’s used should have a clear purpose that ties back to your message, and every item should match exactly. If a number changes in one place, make sure it changes everywhere, so you don’t leave your audience confused. 

Each presenter might make their own section of the presentation. In this case, it’s still important to keep an overall consistency in both the design scheme and the message.  

The Presentation 

When the time to present arrives, be confident. Dress appropriately for the audience. Make sure all of the materials and prepared and ready. Be mindful of the time, but don’t rush. 

And whatever you do, whatever you create, do not read the slides. Any intelligent audience can read bullet points for themselves. Just a few words or a visual are all you need; the rest should come directly from you.  

Try to strike a balance between formal professionalism and informal approachability. How much you should lean in either direction will depend on your audience. 

The Follow-Up 

Almost as important as the presentation itself, the moments and days after the presentation can make or break the success of the presentation in the long term. 

Immediately following the presentation, you may need to answer some questions from the board members. Make sure you’re prepared for those questions by considering potential questions and practicing your answers with your group. 

Leave the presentation with specific follow-up actions relating to your message. What does the board need from you next? What information do you need from the board?  

Overall, be confident, be committed, and know your message.  

Waneta Hebert, Ed.D. is Director of Learning for HFTP. She is an accomplished instructional designer and educator with over 10 years of experience in K-12 and higher education.